Multiple opposed piston propulsive engine



Mamh L 1&9, F. G. PRHET MULTIPLE OPPOSED PISTON PROPULSIVE ENGINE FiledJune 3, 1946 i 9 I ll 7::

INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 1, 1949 IvEEILTIlPLE PPSED WESTON PRGPULSIWE ENGKNEFernando G. iPriieto, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application done 3, 1946, Serial No. 674,028

(El. ll23-51) 3 (liaims. l

The present invention relates to an improved internal combustionpropulsive engine and deals more specifically with a two-stroke cycleengine and with a novel manner of applying the power of said engine.This application is a continuation in part of my Patent 2,399,507, April30,1946.

The objects of the present invention are: first, to provide an improvedengine having opposed pistons in a cylinder and constructed to obtain anefficient power output; second, to provide an engine of the characterindicated which has an efficient weight to power output ratio and whichis economical to both manufacture and operate; third, to provide animproved internal combustion engine which efliciently conserves fuel;fourth, to provide an improved internal combustion engine in which thescavenging of the cylinders thereof is efllciently effected; fifth, toprovide an internal combustion engine in which opposed portions of thecylinders thereof are alternately cooled by a charge of fresh air;sixth, to provide means operatively associated with an internalcombustion engine to move impulsively a vehicle or to perform otherdesired work.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of theinvention will be more clearly realized from the following detaileddescription of the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawingwhich shows, by way of example, an engine embodying the presentinvention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal plan sectional view-of an engine embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section view of the same engine, in part, takenat right angle to the plane of section of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view as 7 taken on line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional enlarged View as taken on line 6-4 ofFig. 2.

Referring to the drawing in greater detail, the engine shown comprisesan elongated cylinder 1, which is closed at its end 8 and 9, and isprovided with a pair of opposed working pistons l0 and l l a free pistoni2, disposed between the working pistons l0 and H for free movement inthe cylin-' der 1; a crankshaft 13 which is divided in two portions. asshown; means operatively connecting the crankshaft and theworkingpistons Ill and H, said working pistons being provided with piston rodsl4 and 15 which are respectively connected to the inertia members l6 andI1 disposed outside of the cylinder 1 and beyond its ends, said inertiamembers being in turn respectively connected to the crankshaft 13 bymean of connecting rods l5 and i9 and crank rods iBa and 39m arrangedlongitudinally on either side of the cylinder l.

The working pistons l0 and ii are each provided with a longitudinalpassage 2!] controlled by poppet valves 2| and flap valves 22 which openinwardly to allow fluid to pass from the outer to the inner faces ofeach of said working pistons.

Each end of the cylinder I is provided with a fuel line 23 for admittinga fuel charge to said cylinder by displacing a back pressure valve 24 ineach of said lines. Between each fuel line and the cylinder 1 there is avalve 25 which reciprocates for controlling the air and fuel ports; in aposition, closes its related fuel line and permits air to enter therespective portion of the cylinder 1; in its other position permits flowof fuel to the respective portion of the cylinder I. Said cylinder isalso provided with exhaust valves 26 for the gases of combustion of theengine, said valves being operated in a typical manner to alternatelyopen and close in synchrony with the operation of the engine.

Said cylinder is further provided with poppet valves 2'! whichautomatically and intermittently open and close; open under the pressureof the combustion when the explosion occurs and close afterwards whensaid pressure decreases. A shutter (not shown) between each valve 21 andits related port will control the opening of said port. Suitableoperating mechanism driven by the engine or by timed outside means maybe provided for operating said shutters.

The engine structure also includes means such as compression springs 28and 29 arranged to be acted on respectively by the inertia members l8and H; to compress when said inertia members are propelled outwardly andto expand when said inertia members reverse their motion. Said springsmay turnaside to avoid to be acted on by said inertia members.

The engine above set forth may be used in various ways. Herein, it willbe described with rela. tion to a vehicle which it propels accordingly;the springs 28 and 29 are respectively secured to transverse members 30and 3| of said vehicle as by means of bolts 32 and 33, respectively. Ittherefore, will be seen that the engine is, gen.- erally, disposed inthe plane or line of movement of a vehicle of which the members 30 and3| are.

transverse components.

The valves 2| and 22 of the working pistons Ill and H are arranged toopen during the out stroke of said pistons, only when the pressure" onthe outer face of said pistons is greater than atmosphere.

Suitable operating mechanism of conventional design may be provided foroperating the valves 25 and 26 in timed relation with the operation ofthe engine. Said mechanism may either be driven by the engine orby timedoutside means.

The operation of the present structure is as follows:

During the in-stroke of piston III atmosphere air is drawn in theportion Ia of the cylinder I.

arly, during the in-stroke of piston II, a fuel charge is drawn into theportion 1b of said cylinder. At the end of said in-stroke of pistons Iand II, a fuel charge which had previously been displaced into the space'Ic between the working piston III and the free piston I2, is ignited bya suitable spark or other firing means (not shown). The space thusbecomes a combustion chamber. The resulting gas expansion in chamber 10causes the out-stroke of the working pistons Ill and II to begin, saidpistons moving outwardly and oppositely with the same velocity. PistonIII receives its moving force directly from the expanding gases, butpiston I I receives its thrust from the free piston I2 which ispropelled by the expanding gases of combustion. During said out-strokeof pistons I0 and I I, the position of the valves 25 remain as shown inFig. 2. It will be seen (1) that the air charge in the cylinder portionIa, after eifecting cooling of said cylinder portion and of the pistonIII, will be expelled through the relative valve 25, since said air isstill under atmosphere pressure, and the valves 2! in the piston I I)remain closed; and (2) that the fuel charge in the cylinder portion lbwill be compressed during said out-stroke to close the fuel valve 24.Said pressure will open the valves 2| and 22 of the piston I I to allowthe fuel charge to pass through passage 20 into the space M between thepistons II and I2. It follows then that the free piston I2, instead offollowing the outward movement of the working piston II, gradually slowsup and then reverses its movement in a direction toward the piston Ill.Such movement is the result of both the incoming fuel charge and thegradual loss of force of the fully expanded gases of combustion.

At the end of the out-stroke of the'working pistons, the valves 25 willmove to open the lower fuel line and close the upper one, and,simultaneously, reverse the position of the exhaust valves 26. As thenext in-stroke of the working pistons I0 and I I is initiated, thecombustion chamber 1c is exhausted through the lower valve 26 as thefree piston I2, being impelled by the incoming fuel charge, comes incontact with piston I0, and said fuel charge is compressed by the pistonII in the space Id which now becomes the combustion chamber. Uponignition of this fuel charge,

the above described operation is repeated except that during thein-stroke of piston I 0 a fuel charge is drawn into the cylinder portionIa and during the in-stroke of piston I I, an air charge is drawn intothe cylinder portion 'Ib.

It will be evident that upon each power stroke of the working pistons I0and II, the inertia members It and I I thrust upon and compress eitherthe spring 28 or the spring 29. When, for example, the spring 29 isdisengaged from its related inertia member I I and it turns aside, thespring 28 will be compressed and transmit a thrust or push on thetransverse member 30 of the vehicle, and, reversely, when the spring 28a is disengaged from its related inertia member and 4 it turns aside,the spring 29 will be compressed and transmit a thrust or push on thetransverse member 3| of the vehicle. The energy thus stored in thecompressed spring will propel the vehicle by a series of cushioned blowseither forward or backward respectively, and, also, upon recoil of thecompressed spring, institute the in-stroke cycle of the engine.

It is also evident that the crankshaft I 8, likewise, receives powerfrom the engine. It follows that this crankshaft power may be used incombination with the forces applied through the inertia member or, bysuitable means, either application of the engine force may be applied.

It is further evident that, if the engine is placed in a position withits cylinder or cylinders parallel to the motion of the vehicle which itpropels and with the valves 21 downwards, every explosion in thecombustion chamber will tend to move the cylinder in a direction opposedto that of the jet or flow of the escaped gases through the respectivevalve 21, that is, upwards, and the velocity of such movement will varyaccording to the opening of its related shutter, Other engines that haveports on the sidewall of the cylinder have said ports always closedduring the power stroke and open afterwards, its purpose being toexhaust the burnt gases of combustion, but the ports controlled byvalves 21, on the contrary, will be opened by the expanding gases ofcombustion when the explosion occurs and closed afterwards, its purposebeing to utilize the energy of said expanding gases as above disclosed.If the springs 28 and 29 are disengaged, the rate of explosions in thecombustion chamber will greatly increase, and, with the shutters totallyopen, the engine will tend to ascend rapidly since almost all its powerthen is applied to move the engine upward.

Various fuels may be used. For instance, carbureted air comprising aspray mixture of oil and oxygen or oil mixed with vapors of liquidoxygen are effective.

Only the essentials of my engine structure have ben disclosed and it isobvious that skilled persons can readily incorporate such attendinginstrumentalities that may be needed to complete the structure. Further,many changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed. I therefore, desire to reserve to myself such variations thatfall within the scope of the appended claims. I claim:

1. A two-stroke cycle internal combustion engine comprising: at leastone cylinder; a crankshaft associated with said cylinder and divided intwo portions, each portion placed at the end and in the direction of adiameter of said cylinder; a pair of opposed working pistons in eachcylinder; a free piston freely movable between said working pistons toform a combustion chamber between itself and its related working piston,alternately; and means connecting each working piston to saidcrankshaft.

2. A two-stroke cycle internal combustion engine comprising: at leastone cylinder; a crankshaft associated with said cylinder and divided 5each working piston to said crankshaft; and at each end of eachcylinder, a spring having one end secured to a rigid member and theother end in engagement with one of said inertia members forintermittent compression thereof by said inertia member.

3. The device as characterized in claim 2 which includes two ports nearthe central portion and on the sidewall of each cylinder, a poppet valveclosing each port, said valves opening automatically under pressure ofthe expanding gases of combustion immediately after the explosion in theengine,.a shutter between eachport and its respective valve, and meansfor actuating said shutters.

FERNANDO G. PRIETO.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

5 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,018,093 Blair Feb. 20, 19121,044,089 Shaw Nov. 12, 1912 10 1,257,104 Olson Feb. 19, 1918 1,324,520Robbins Dec. 9, 1919 1,587,052 Tolputt June 1, 1926 1,615,133 PescaraJan. 18, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date 583,350 France of1924

